The Cüneyne Mosque is an Ottoman mosque located in the Meşhedlik (Abdi Oymağı) neighborhood of Kilis. It is believed to have been built in the 16th century. It is one of the oldest mosques in Kilis. For centuries, it has served as a place of worship for the local community.1 It was severely damaged during the February 6, 2023, earthquake when its minaret collapsed onto the prayer hall and courtyard.2
The neighborhood where the mosque is located contains the graves of Muslim companions who were martyred during the conquest of Kilis in the early days of Islam. For this reason, the neighborhood was named “Meşhedlik” (martyrs’ memorial), while the mosque was named “Cüneyne” (little paradise).
Sections of the mosque, such as the main prayer hall and the rear congregation area, have lost their original architectural character due to later alterations; but its minaret remained standing as the sole and most significant original element dating back to the building’s initial construction period—until it collapsed into the courtyard during the February 6, 2023, earthquake.
The base of this minaret, located above a pointed-arch doorway leading to the courtyard, has a square plan, and the corners of its cubic section are chamfered. Its thick and massive shaft is polygonal (dodecagonal) in shape. It has a single balcony. The balcony’s railings are unadorned. The space below the balcony is filled with muqarnas, with a single molding above and below each muqarnas. Its cylindrical shaft and conical cap are made of stone.3
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